Liquid Rootz – Kelly Milano, DC Student

Band Review

If you’ve ever been at Joels Tavern and been lucky enough to hear Liquid Rootz, you know what a great band this is! The band was formed in the summer of 2009 and has grown into a unique combination of contemporary music with an island twist. Another thing that separates this band from other bands on campus is that it represents virtually every program of study that Life University has to offer. The original members, Tui Osborne (Exercise Science), Benny Mateialona (Business) and Colton Cariaga (Business) have added Arthur Driver (Business) and Marc Chianese (graduating from the DC program this quarter.)  While the group has created 12 original songs and is in the process of recording their first album, they also do a lot of cover music at their shows.  Tui states, “Most of our inspiration comes from just being together a lot, hanging out in my man cave garage, having a few brews while listening to great artists on the radio and just enjoying each other’s company.”  Lead Vocalist, Tui, believes that, “we stand out because of what each person brings to the table music-wise in terms of cultural backgrounds; I grew up around reggae, Arthur and Ben grew up around rap/hip-hop and Marc and Colton listened to more contemporary stuff and rock, so we try to have a touch of each genre in our songs.” Each member brings their own unique flare to the group, and when meshed together, the sound is Liquid Rootz! Make sure to check them out at any of their local venues – Joel’s Tavern, Red Sky Tappas, Party Chic, The Vineyard Winemarket and V2 Room and be sure to find them on Facebook at Liquid-Rootz.

Chiropractic Schizophrenia – Alexandra Gerdel, DC Student

Being a Chiropractic Student stuck between the TORS and Medis

At New Beginnings this past April, Dr. Liam Schubel referred to the chiropractic education as schizophrenic. The following is an explanation of just what that means and a proposal to purge chiropractic of its schizophrenic education and identity.

In the infancy of the chiropractic profession two philosophical camps developed that continue to run rampant today. As LIFE students we are all familiar with the philosophy created and developed by the Palmers. They sought to fill a void they saw in medicine and correct the cause of disease rather than treat its effects. They did not use any therapies, but simply applied the chiropractic adjustment at the right place and right time. They did not come from the educated upper class, but instead were hard-working, self educated blue collar men who developed a method of health care they believed would change the world.

As the Palmer’s took their newfound passion to the masses and began teaching others what they knew, another camp of chiropractors developed. The leaders of this group were two men, Langworthy and Carver. Unlike the founders of chiropractic, they believed in the use of modalities and alternative ways to treat disease. Their followers, like their leaders, tended to be medical doctors, osteopaths or naturopaths, seeking to add yet another degree and tool to their white collar education.

These two camps have been known throughout history as the “straights” (Palmers) and the “mixers” (Langworthy and Carver.) Both sides have continually worked to develop chiropractic in the direction they feel it should go, one as a separate and distinct profession, and the other as another route to become a medical doctor. Today these terms have been replaced by chiropracTOR’s practicing chiropracTIC, and MEDIpractors pushing for prescription rights and the incorporation of chiropractic into the medical profession. Regardless of the terms, chiropractic schools are charged with satisfying the traditionally medipractor educational standards devoid of any philosophical background that is required of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), while still, if their own philosophy is intact, providing students with the philosophical understanding necessary to practice chiropractic in it’s pure form, as a science, philosophy and art.

The weird dichotomy that has been created in chiropractic through political power struggles between the two factions rears it’s ugly head on our own campus in the form of our curriculum. It’s a fairly common phenomenon to walk around the LIFE campus and hear someone complaining about a class we’re required to take as chiropractic students. What exactly does urinalysis, visceral diagnosis or learning how to do a digital rectal and female pelvic exam have to do with chiropractic? Every quarter at least one class in the curriculum raises the question: “Why am I being asked to learn this? I’m going to be a chiropractor, I remove vertebral subluxations by adjusting the spine!” Well the answer lies in the philosophical division described above.

As students we are left trying to figure out just what our role is as chiropractors in “the real world.” We attend classes where we are informed we must know this information for boards. Our teachers stress mastering medical diagnosis lest someone die under our care. Then we attend seminars where we are told to forget everything we learned in school because most of it is baloney required by the CCE, NBCE and state licensing boards, but will hold no place for us in the real world. By the time we reach 12^th Quarter Advanced CLET with Dr. McCoy, a full case of schizophrenia has set in. No help is to be found from Dr. McCoy, who further rattles our brains by pointing out LIFE’s mission statement is to train us as “primary clinicians” fully capable and competent in every subject we have learned in school—including urinalysis and performing a Digital Rectal Exam. Although he himself is arguably one of the more principled chiropractors teaching at LIFE, his job is to ascertain whether we have truly learned the information necessary to competently fulfill the school’s mission for us upon graduation. With all the mixed messages about what our role truly is when we graduate, is it any wonder a portion of the profession has abandoned all philosophy and are fighting for the comfort of joining the medical world?

Given the recent events with the CCE abandoning all reference to chiropractic as a separate and distinct profession that heals without the use of drugs or surgery, the time has come for chiropractic to reclaim it’s own education. It’s time to take a stand for ourselves and our profession. We don’t need medicine to make our profession successful in changing the health of the world, what we need is a revamping of our education system so that chiropractic students graduate ready to spread chiropracTIC around the world. What we don’t need is for students to continue to graduate feeling scared or incompetent in their chiropractic art, science and philosophy because of a schizophrenic training in two conflicting ideologies. Who is ready to join me in a revolution?

Sharing Our Thoughts And Opinions – Sarah Moreau, UG Student

How far is too far?

Here at Life University, we pride ourselves on being the premier health and wellness university.  However, different students, faculty, and staff have different visions of what that means. To some, it means we are pursuing careers in health and wellness industries. To others, it means we need to all be on a certain diet and workout schedule, and only wear organic cotton clothing made from recycled or repurposed fibers. With so many vastly differing opinions, how do we manage?

With such strong feelings about all these issues floating around campus, discussions are almost guaranteed to happen, and from my viewpoint, the discussion seldom goes as well as it could. While we tolerate differences in any other form, a differing concept of what a Life University education  is or should be about is something about which many students I have observed seem to be very intolerant  Perhaps a student comes to LIFE to study in the undergraduate or master’s program.  Immediately, everyone tells this student they should go D.C. When met with hesitation or resistance, most back off, but some actually push harder. By doing so, these individuals think they’re helping someone find their career, but they might actually be pushing that person away. Ultimately, we are not all going to become chiropractors. If everyone on Earth were a chiropractor, no one would have enough patients to sustain a practice. The world needs other professions, as well. Instead of trying to coerce every student here into “The Program,” we should treat each other well, so that the idea of chiropractic doesn’t leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.

When discussing techniques, many students claim their preferred technique is the only good technique, and everyone else is crazy. Everyone ELSE is crazy? If there was only one technique to use, that is the only technique LIFE would teach. LIFE teaches a plethora of techniques because different D.C.’s prefer different techniques, different techniques work better for different patients, and none of them are wrong. So why do people get so arrogant that they believe only their favorite technique works? Maybe we should all step back and acknowledge there is at least some merit in all techniques taught at LIFE.

Some things on campus should be off-limits. Approaching someone and giving them a 30-minute lecture on why they are wrong about everything is NEVER a way to change someone’s mind. Approaching someone with an auto-immune disorder to tell them that one specific adjustment WILL cure them is rather insensitive. Considering the fact that this is happening on the campus of the largest chiropractic college in the world, makes this scenario just plain silly. Whether or not these students are D.C. students, they are surrounded by chiropractic every day. Chances are, you are not the first person to bring this theory to them, and it gets less welcome every time. As a person walking down the hallway, it’s really not your place to give them unsolicited advice about their health, especially when you consider the fact that they most likely already have an intern or D.C. of their own.

I am not saying all D.C. students are like this. Just like with any similar situation, the minority of people have the loudest voices, so that’s all people hear. With all of us shouting our opinions, none of us hear anything. Unfortunately, that sours many people on the Life University experience, and leaves us downtrodden, rather than uplifted. Our Lasting Purpose is To Give, To Do, To Love, and To Serve out of a sense of abundance. Perhaps we can keep this in mind when discussing our differences.  Maybe then, these discussions will be fruitful and lively, rather than the toxic lectures they so often become.

Introducing Insidious Interference – Alexandra Gerdel, DC Student

An interview with Life University’s new band

On a chilly November evening, Life students gathered in the courtyard behind Cool Beans Coffee Shop on the square. With warm drinks in their hands and midterms behind them, they settled in to listen to the sometimes sweet, sometimes rough, and sometimes insidious sounds of Life’s new band, Insidious Interference. The band—a group of hard working DC students with a somewhat mysterious and creative side—formed over the last year and has just begun playing local gigs, with Cool Beans being their first full length headlining show.

Jordan Wolff, the lead vocalist and guitarist, is joined by Antonio Rodriguez on bass, Vital Source’s own layout editor Jamie Foster on drums, and Nevin Ramona on bongo. Their talent is both surprising and refreshing. Wolff can more than just carry a tune, Rodriguez has perfected the art of “slappin’ the bass”, and Foster keeps a mean beat for what seems to be hours on end, with an occasional soft accompaniment from Ramona. Vital Source sat down with Wolff to get some details on the band and what we can expect from them in the future.

VS: How did you guys meet and start playing together?

JW: Jamie and I were in organic chemistry together about a year ago and started jamming at Joels. We decided to start writing music and around that time Antonio joined the crew.

VS: Where did “Insidious Interference” come from?

JW: We were in philosophy class with Dr. Koch and he kept using the term “insidious interference.” When we heard it Jamie and I looked up at each other and both had “the look.” We knew right then that that would be our band name.

VS: What made you all decide to start a band?

JW: We enjoy doing it. It gets us in touch with our innate. We’re not adjusting yet, but music gives us the ability to get to that place, to feel a collective conscious between each other and the sound we’re producing. It’s the same feeling and state I hope to have between my patients and I when I start adjusting.

VS: You both write your own music and play covers of other bands. What are some of your musical influences?

JW: We’re heavily influenced by Umphrey’s McGee, Phish, John Mayer, 311, Bob Marley and Sublime. We’ve been writing some of our own stuff too. The best way to describe it is, somewhat insidious.

VS: Anything else you’d like people to know about you?

JW: This is the beginning for Insidious Interference, so be on the look out for our shows! We play the best when friends come to hang out and support us. We hope to see our fellow students there!

Insidious Interference is ready to get the name Life University out around the community and rock coffee shops and other venues all over the area. Be on the lookout for their shows. In the meantime, you can check them out on myspace.com/insidiousinterference or on YouTube.com/insidiousatl.